She had spent two years at school there. Somehow obtaining permission from the War Office to cross the Channel, she set off for Antwerp where she offered the services of the Corps. It was to be the fulfilment of Captain Bakers plan. By September 1. 0th she was nursing the wounded at lHopital de Boulevard Leopold in Antwerp. In her memoirs Ashley Smith wrote Whilst waiting, I registered at the Belgian Red Cross as ambulanciere and worked from morning to night with a motor ambulance, bringing wounded in from outposts and trenches near Lierre and Buchout. There were hundreds of wounded to be attended to and I worked in a ward of sixty five beds for three weeks and in my off duty hours I interviewed the Belgian Red Cross and various other people. I was offered first an empty house in Avenue Marie Therese for convalescents. A few days later they asked me to get the Corps over to staff a hospital of three hundred beds, fully equipped, in the rue de Retranchements. Rise Of Nations Gold Edition Full Version Mac there. I sent frantic telegrams to Miss Franklin. The first contingent of FANYs was at Fenchurch Street station waiting for the boat train when the news of the fall of Antwerp came through. As the British and Belgians retreated to the coast Ashley Smith stayed in Ghent. In a letter home, the spirit, audacity and determination which the FANYs came to embody shows vividly Dearest Mother, Institut Moderne pour Malades, Ghent. Another chance of getting a letter through. My last went with the Consuls daughter when they left suddenly on Sunday night. I met a Miss Sinclair an authoress, who is acting as secretary to an Ambulance Corps run by a Dr. Munroe Hector Munroe and consisting of six women and about ten men including ten doctors, chauffeurs, a clergyman and four motor ambulances. It was a chance meeting but that night I was doing night duty as well, as they were short handed at the Convent. Miss Sinclair came round about 2 am to say they would be able to take me and my two English wounded with them as they were fleeing almost at once. At 3am the motor ambulance called for us and a long bitterly cold ride followed. I was so dead tired I actually slept for about an hour despite the cold and the cramped position etc. Luckily we found a station and a train just starting for Ghent, so I jumped aboard and came back. It was a hard frost and bitterly cold and I must confess my heart was somewhere about my boots because as far as I know the English had all fled. Crowds of Belgians surrounded me in astonishment on my arrival I think they began to wonder if the English army had really fled. Poor boy He was so thankful to see an English person again, he had no idea they had left him to the Germans. He is in the Royal Marine Light Infantry. He is dreadfully weak. We have seven Germans billeted here and I sat by him in terror at every sound there are such awful tales of their barbarity but we have much to be thankful for as the ones here were very civil I cant bear to leave Mr Foote until he is either out of danger or gone. I havent had any luggage since I left Antwerp. It is lost. Today I washed all my clothes in my bath and they are drying now to be ready for night. I only brought one suit with me and the blouse was filthy. This is a very selfish letter. I may of course be taken prisoner by the Germans. I hope they leave the wounded alone. German aeroplanes go about all day. Brutes I am going to try to blow up their aerodrome with dynamite. It is quite near here, it wouldnt be such a chance as getting near their big guns, but I fear that is hopeless. I suppose if this falls into their hands I shall be shotMuch love to you all, Gracie. PS. Poor Mr Foote it will all be over in an hour or two. I have been with him all night I shall probably be made a prisoner or something now as I shall certainly see he gets an officers funeral that at least he has the right to and he shall have it somehow. Goodbye Mother I feel very miserable it is so easy to be brave when there are horrid wounds to do up but to sit helpless hour after hour and just watch and be able to do nothing. He is dead I shall try and leave here tomorrow after the funeral. Grace Ashley Smith did manage to escape and got back to England.